The speed limit on the main road through Katamatite needs to be reduced, according to a group of concerned residents and business owners.
Beek St, part of the Benalla-Tocumwal Rd, is the main thoroughfare through the town of 450 people, and is speed limited at 60km/h.
Co-owner of the Katamatite General Store Billy Singh he’d like to see the speed limit dropped to 50km/h, citing safety concerns for locals.
“Some traffic here is going really fast, which is unsafe for everybody, especially older people here. If they want to cross the road to the post office, or come here, it’s unsafe,” he said.
“It’s only maybe one kilometre from the start to the other end of town. And it would make a huge difference to the safety of the local people.”
A designated crossing point near the general store, used primarily by school students, is staffed by crossing supervisors during before- and after-school hours.
Kerrie Lever is the licensee of the Katamatite Post Office, and said her main concern about traffic passing down Beek St was that it didn’t slow down despite the speed limit of 60km/h.
“We’ve got a lot of elderly who need to access the road, plus all our driveways are here. It’s just non-stop during the day, and it should be at a lower speed,” she said.
“They just sail through and don’t take any notice [of the speed limit]. It’s like they’re on the highway, they’re not driving through town. They just drive through with no concern.”
At the very least, she would like to see the speed limit dropped to 50km/h.
“That would slow them down. They would not do as much damage if there was an accident, and it would make them realise they’re coming through a town.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport and Planning did not respond to questions about whether it had any plans to reduce the speed limit along Beek St.
The spokesperson instead said the department was working with key road safety partners to monitor safety along Benalla-Tocumwal Rd (Beek St) in Katamatite.
“Everyone has a role to play when it comes to road safety, and we urge everyone to adjust your driving to the conditions, look out for each other and avoid distractions,” the spokesperson said.
The department said it considered requests for speed limit reviews based on several factors, including the number and type of vehicles using the road, pedestrian volumes and the collision history of the site.